Month: February 2017

Kids today might not know about these, but when I was going to school we had hall passes. Hall passes allowed you to go the bathroom, go to the nurse’s office, or to go other authorized places during scheduled classroom time. It was a pass to let administrators or other teachers know that you were allowed to be out of the classroom during class or scheduled activities should they find you in the hall. If you did not have a hall pass it was assumed that you were not supposed to be out of the classroom or that your teachers did not know you were going. A hall pass was a temporary excused absence from the classroom to go a specific place.

Jesus came as God in flesh on earth over 2000 years ago to share the love of God with others. While on earth he preached, performed miracles, and left the promise of his second coming on earth for generations to come. He then was the ultimate sacrifice for all our sins; both significant and seemingly insignificant ones. He was murdered on the cross and bore the pain and suffering for our sins. We are privileged enough to enjoy God’s glory and heaven for eternity by accepting this gift.

Often we are taught that this gift is enough and God’s love is all we need, and friends, it truly is . . . his gift of sacrifice on the cross is all we need for eternal life with him. His grace is enough, but what he desires for our life is monumental too.

The thing about hall passes, intended for a specific destination on the school grounds, is that sometimes the kids with the passes did not always get to the intended destination or they used the hall pass to go somewhere unauthorized.

Jesus is our hall pass to be carried with us through our life journey to our eternal destination. But do we sometimes use Jesus as our hall pass, an excuse to perhaps go a path that isn’t designed for us or isn’t beneficial for our spiritual walk with the Lord? Do we use our hall pass to do things we shouldn’t? As Christians I feel we believe it is ok to do this or that because we have our hall pass with us.

The mercy and grace through Jesus Christ is overflowing and abundant. His grace, love, and mercy might be our hall pass, but it should not be temporary excused absence from a life Jesus wants for us. Our hall pass is not a pass to live life how WE desire, go where WE want to go, and do the things WE want if it is not in God’s plan for our life or beneficial in our spiritual walk. Are we going where we should with our hall pass?

My personal prayer: Jesus through your grace, love and mercy, be my guide on my life’s journey. Lead me not unto the unauthorized places that are not beneficial for me. Direct me in your ways, O Lord, going in the path you would have me go. Jesus, let me not use you as a hall pass to live a life that is not in your plan. Be always with me and have me fulfill your plan for my life. In your holy name, Amen.